Primary care networks (PCNs) are based on GP registered lists, typically serving natural communities of around 30,000 to 50,000.

Here are pharmacies in Sussex and Surrey area by A-Z and aligned to their PCN.

Community pharmacy’s role

PCNs, with community pharmacy on board, will be expected to:

• provide a wider range of primary care services to patients, involving a wider set of staff roles than might be feasible in individual primary care settings such as GP practices
• be the footprint around which integrated community-based teams will develop, and community and mental health services, will be expected to configure their services around
• think about the wider health of the local communities they serve, taking a proactive approach to managing population health and, from 2020/21, assessing the needs of their local population to identify people who would benefit from targeted, proactive support
• be focused on service delivery, rather than on the planning and funding of services, responsibility for which will remain with commissioners (public health and CCGs).

Community pharmacies need to work together in their PCN.

LPC members in Surrey and Sussex urge all contractors to:

• Start a conversation with each other about how they wish to collaborate.
• Consider and agree who would be best to represent the local group, from among all the pharmacists within the PCN footprint, and notify this to this to the LPC on lpc@communitypharmacyss.co.uk  (Here is more about the role. Guidance for PCN Leads (V2 Oct 2019), and Expression of Interest Form for PCN Leads Oct 2019, and an outline agenda for PCN lead appointment meeting Oct 2019 V1)
• Consider how they can develop or enhance their relationships with their GP practices and what they can offer them to help relieve the pressures on primary care. 

Read how Surrey and Sussex LPCs are supporting their contractors on this PCN journey:

• Surrey & Sussex PCN special (issue 1) 26 September 2019
• Surrey & Sussex PCN special (issue 2) 29 October 2019

The LPCs role in PCNs

Community pharmacies are at the heart of the communities they serve and are therefore best placed to get involved in discussions about the wider health of their patients and customers. LPC members don’t know the people who go into each pharmacy so our primary role is to help our contractors represent community pharmacy to their PCN.  Look out for webinars, face-to-face meetings, checklists and briefing sheets, as required with our support developing as PCNs evolve and mature.

We will also take part in discussions at county and regional levels to represent contractors views and promote commissioning of pharmacy services to help meet the health objectives best suited to individual communities.

Training and development

• Community pharmacists working with PCNs will will be able to access support and training to allow them to do their job confidently. See training and development

This short animation from Pharmacy Complete explains more about PCNs and the future of pharmacy

More information

Resources

• PSNC Guidance and resources to help community pharmacy get involved in PCNs
• See training and development
• Community Pharmacy Surrey & Sussex webinar on PCNS (24 June 2019) Simply enter your contact details to view.

News from within Surrey and Sussex

• News story More than 90 community pharmacy colleagues in Surrey and Sussex register for webinar on primary care networks (PCNs) 
• News story  Don’t be concerned if you have not yet been invited to help set up emerging primary care networks (PCNs), says head of primary care for NHS England’s South East Local Regional Office